Current Work

Currently Growing Roots is providing a Horticultural Therapist to a local school (Inaura), on a weekly basis. We continue to work with Aster with their Friends Club and will be creating a new living wall on the Hillmead Estate, Shepton Mallet. We will be planting winter containers at Bovemoor and Sheldon Drive.

Past projects can be found in the list on the right of the page. Some recent projects are shown below:

Some Projects

Lawrence Centre Intergenerational Project

During the intergenerational project at the Lawrence centre in Wells older and young people worked together, to plant containers and hanging baskets. The project developed communication between the different groups and challenged stereotypes. Confidence was developed with the younger people.

Sheldon Drive and Bovemoor

We worked with tenants at Bovemoor in Street and Sheldon Drive in Wells to create community gardens. The gardens included a living wall, a raised bed and many planters. The project had benefits of social interaction community involvement, increased self confidence and self esteem, greater physical wellbeing and an enhanced local environment.

Keyford Heights

This was a heath and wellbeing project with residents of Keyford Heights in Frome, one of Aster's residential homes. We planted and tasted herbs, and did flower and wreaths.

Residents found the gardening relaxing and enjoyable, and the activities provided opportunities for socialising, reducing isolation, maintaining fine motor skills and keeping active.

Short Breaks Team Activity Day

This provided opportunities for social interaction, creativity and working in groups for children in Somerset by making scarecrows and miniature gardens, and planting herbs.

An edible living wall project took place in May 2014 in Hillmead, Shepton Mallet, supported by Aster Communities.

A two day intergenerational gardening activity took place at a residential home in Wells in April 2014. This was greatly to the benefit to the residents and all who took part. Several volunteers were of great help.

A six-month social and therapeutic gardening project was undertaken at a junior school in Shepton Mallet in June 2013 and between November 2013 and March 2014. The aims were to encourage social skills and to improve attention span as well as fostering self confidence and self esteem amongst a small group of children.

A six-week pilot project was carried out at a Special school in Bridgwater in May & June 2013 together with the Horticultural Teaching Assistant based at the school. The aim was to encourage one group of students to work independently and solve problems and to stimulate the senses of a second group of younger children with Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties. Activities included Topiary, propagation and handling herbs by re-potting them and making dips for tasting.